Relief
by Yatzstar
Summary: Wanda has been grieving Pietro's death for a long time, keeping it all inside. Vision is concerned and finally decides to help. (Beginnings of ScarletVision)
**A/N: Wanda and Vision are such goals. I'm PRAYING that the surprise kiss is Scarlet Vision. :3 If this is any good, please give me a prompt! I love this ship and I wanna write more! Side note: I got the spacing right this time.**

It had been a few months since the battle of Sokovia, yet Wanda still felt the death of her brother as painfully as the day he had died, when he had saved Clint Barton and a child.

Nightmares continued to haunt the new Avenger. It seemed that every time she closed her eyes, the image of Pietro falling limply to the ground full of bullets came to her afresh.

Therefore, she slept little. Many nights when the Avengers Facility was silent in sleep, she would be up, practicing her powers, reading, blasting loud music (soundproof walls were handy), watching late night talk shows, or anything that would keep her mind off Pietro. In the morning, she would make up her face to hide the dark rings under her eyes, so it would appear she had slept, and the Avengers were none the wiser.

Except one.

"Order's up!" Tony yelled.

The billionaire-playboy-philanthropist had dropped by for a visit recently, giving the excuse that "he wanted to make sure they weren't getting into trouble", but anyone could clearly see the real reason: he missed them.

Natasha wandered into the kitchen, sniffing the air. "I don't smell anything burning. Are you sure you cooked those, Stark?"

Tony flipped several pancakes onto a platter as he made a face at the assassin. "Speak for yourself! You're so bad you could burn cereal."

"Ooh, shots fired," Sam whistled from the bar.

"What shots? I did not hear any gunfire," Vision said. The synthezoid floated nearby, observing the human activity with his normal air of innocent curiosity.

"It's a figure of speech, Vizzy," Tony said. "I thought you'd be up to speed on the English language by now."

"I am quite familiar with the language, yet I find the slang most… Odd."

Wanda shuffled into the kitchen, swathed in a fuzzy red bathrobe. Completely oblivious to her teammates, she slumped on a barstool.

Tony let out a small whistle as he flipped another pancake. "Hard night? You sure look wasted."

"Shut up, Stark," Natasha interjected.

"Have you been sleeping okay?" Sam asked, a slight look of concern on his face. "You haven't looked too well lately."

Wanda, who had been too exhausted to even put a comb through her hair, tried to sit up straight. "I'm fine. I… I just haven't woken up yet, I suppose."

"What you need is a good shot of my espresso," Tony said cheerily, handing her a steaming mug. "Drink it sparingly, though. One time I mistook it for regular coffee and drank a whole can's worth. I didn't sleep for a week."

Natasha grimaced at the memory. "Ugh, don't remind me."

Though Wanda was not overly fond of Stark for obvious reasons,she gratefully sipped at the strong drink, relishing the feel of the warmth spreading through her. At some point, Steve and Rhodey showed up for breakfast, but she barely noticed. She ate her pancakes automatically, focusing more on trying to stay awake and appear alert. She didn't want them to know about the nightmares and the pain.

As she ate, she became consciously aware of the Vision's gaze upon her. He had done so many times before, almost every morning in fact, but she always passed it off as one of his many oddities. Somewhere in the back of her mind, however, she wondered if he could see the pain she felt. Not a week went by without the synthezoid casually asking her how she was, or how she had slept. She had always answered that she was fine by default, trying to hide her exhaustion, and he never looked quite convinced, but he did not question her further.

"Hey, want to go for a bout of training?"

Wanda was jerked from her thoughts when Natasha tapped her on the shoulder. "Hm? Wha…? Oh… Sure."

The Black Widow frowned. "Are you sure you're okay? You look kind of pale."

Wanda nodded. "I'm fine. Let's go."

The Vision watched silently as the two women left the room. The Maximoff twin clearly hadn't slept well at all, and yet she was lying. He had been observing her from afar for the past few months. Every day she looked a little bit sadder, a little bit paler. He had attempted to ask her what was wrong multiple times, but he feared upsetting her. He decided that her condition was getting out of hand, regardless of if the other Avengers could see her suffering, and he had to do something about it.

"Vizzy, you're staring."

Vision directed his gaze to Tony, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Have I done something wrong, Mr. Stark? I was merely contemplating Miss Maximoff."

"Ooh, 'contemplating'," Rhodey teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Tony grinned even wider. "Do you like her, Vizzy?"

The synthezoid nodded slowly. "Yes, I do not mind her presence. It is quite pleasant."

Steve snorted, trying to keep back a laugh.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, but do you like her?"

Vision tilted his head. "I don't think I understand what you mean by 'like'."

Tony threw up his hands in despair. Steve laughed at him and then asked Vision, "He wants to know if you have a romantic attraction towards her."

Vision furrowed his brow. "As I am not human, I am not sure what romantic attraction would feel like." He stood from his chair. "I must be going about my business."

The four men watch the green-clad figure float away. When he had gone, Tony turned to the others with a smirk. "I'm calling it."

It was midnight or later. Wanda wasn't quite sure, but time didn't matter to her. She had managed to grab a few hour's sleep earlier that day, but she had woken up in cold sweat, bloody images of Pietro flashing through her mind. She had not slept since, and the night wore on.

She had gotten bored of sitting around in her room. The night was rather warm, so she had stolen out for a breath of fresh air. Crickets chirped loudly in the trees surrounding the Avengers Facility as she strolled barefoot through the grass, enjoying the feel of the soft, cool greenery between her toes. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its silvery light over her small form as it watched over her like a silent sentinel.

The Witch let out a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion wash over her. Her body screamed for rest, but she simply couldn't. Every time she closed her eyes, every time she tried to lie down to rest, Pietro flashed through her mind, and the grief came to her afresh.

Suddenly feeling very vulnerable,and she let out a whimper, but it was lost in the cacophony of crickets. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as thoughts of Pietro permeated her mind, and her lip began to quiver.

"Miss Maximoff?"

Wanda whirled, taken by complete surprise at the sound of the quiet, gentle voice behind her. She found herself facing the Vision, who floated before her, hands clasped behind his back. His cloak billowed slightly in the night breeze, giving him a regal appearance. He studied her with his blue eyes that were full of concern.

"Are you alright, Miss Maximoff?" he asked quietly.

Swiftly, Wanda reached up and dashed the tears from her eyes. "I'm fine, thank you, Vision," she said, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

Vision descended, his feet coming to rest lightly on the ground. "I'm afraid you are a terrible liar, Miss Maximoff."

She stared at him. "What?"

He shook his head. "You have not been alright since I lifted you from the wreckage of Sokovia. I can see you have not had a normal human sleeping pattern since then, and I—"

"What business is it of yours what I do?" Wanda growled, anger suddenly welling up inside of her. He was the last person that would understand, much less care! Why was he out here telling her things she already knew?

Vision nodded slowly. "It is none of my business, Miss Maximoff. Please accept my apologies for upsetting you. I was merely concerned." He turned to go, but Wanda's voice stopped him.

"Wait."

He turned back slightly. "Yes?"

Wanda spoke haltingly, as if she was unsure of what to say. "You… You were concerned?"

He nodded. "Your condition has been deteriorating for months now. Though you hide it from the others, I have seen it, and I cannot help but feel what might be characterized as 'worry'."

She stood dumbly, not knowing what to say.

He stepped closer. "I have heard that talking about what grieves you may offer some relief. Humans are not meant to go through such things alone, to my understanding. You need companionship."

Still, she stood there silently,unsure if she should accept his offer.

He extended a hand to her. "I believe it would do you well."

After a brief moment, she took his hand. Much to her surprise, it was not cold like she had expected. Instead, it was warm like a human's. The Vision started leading her slowly through the grass, and he asked, "What is causing you such unrest?"

Wanda swallowed, trying to hold back tears. "Pietro. I miss him. He shouldn't have died."

"Do you perhaps feel alone? Abandoned, maybe?"

She nodded, striving valiantly to keep her composure. "Yes. Every time I close my eyes, every time I let myself rest, I see him dying over and over—" Her voice cracked and she went silent. She turned her face away from the Vision so he could not see the hot tears that had begun to pour down her face.

The Vision squeezed her hand in his and placed the other on her trembling shoulder. "You never speak of it, did you?"

She shook her head and gasped out, "No!"

So that was it. After her brother had been killed, she had kept to herself, refusing the sympathetic advances of her teammates. Never once had she spoken of his death, and outwardly she had appeared fine, but on the inside she had kept all the pain and sorrow all bottled up, festering just below the surface and waiting to explode.

"Oh, Wanda," the Vision murmured. Often he wondered if he was capable of feeling human emotions, and now he was very convinced that he could. He felt sorrow for her, and he desperately wished he could take it away. Gently, he pulled the crying woman into his grasp and sank to the ground, holding her to him.

They remained there for who knows how long, Wanda sobbing into Vision's shoulder while the synthezoid just sat silently, holding her quaking form.

After a while, he said, "You may look into my mind, if that would provide you some comfort."

"No," she mumbled tearfully into his shoulder, her voice heartbreakingly small. "Last time I did I saw destruction."

"That was not me. They were Ultron's thoughts. If you look into my mind, I promise you nothing but peace."

Cautiously, Wanda peered into his mind, not quite sure if he could trust him. What she saw was perfect peace, a blue sky, and green trees. Tranquility flooded through her, the pain and grief seeming like only a nightmare of the past. She was so overwhelmed that she started sobbing again, and again the Vision just held her as they sat together in the grass.

After some time, her sobs subsided into sniffles and whimpers. The Vision did not say anything, but merely waited for her to speak.

When she finally spoke, she said, "You called me Wanda."

The Vision looked down at her, slightly surprised. "What?"

She raised her tear-stained face to meet his gaze. "You called me Wanda instead of Miss Maximoff."

"I sincerely apologize. It will not happen again, Miss Maximoff."

"No, no," she said quickly, a small smile making its way onto her face. "It's fine. I was going to say that I actually prefer it."

Vision nodded. "Very well… Wanda." He blinked as he said her name. It felt rather foreign on his tongue.

Wanda sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I must look like a mess."

"On the contrary, I think you look rather orderly."

Wanda laughed slightly as she brush the wetness from her cheeks. "I mean I must look pretty ugly right now."

"Again, I am inclined to think otherwise."

She stopped and looked up at him. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I do."

It was hard to tell in the moonlight, but Vision swore he could see her blushing. "Thank you, Vision. That's kind of you, as well as trying to comfort me."

Vision smiled slightly. "Anytime. I trust you are feeling better?"

Wanda thought for a moment. Her mind felt clearer than it had in a long time. All the pent up emotion had been let out. She still felt grief at Pietro's death, but it was not steep, out of control sadness like she had been experiencing for the past few months.

"Yes," she decided. "Much better." On a sudden impulse, she flung her arms around the Vision's neck and murmured, "Thank you so very much."

Vision was taken aback by the sudden affection at first, but he then returned the hug.

They stayed like that for a while, until finally Wanda disengaged herself from the synthezoid's arms. "As much as I would like to sit out here all night, I'm afraid we can't."

She suddenly realized that she was sitting in his lap, and had been for quite some time. Heat rising to her face, she hurriedly scooted away and rose to her feet, however the mixture of dehydration from crying and pure exhaustion was not a good one, and she stumbled, her vision clouded.

Vision was on his feet at once to catch her. "Are you alright?"

Wanda nodded, clutching her head as her eyesight cleared. "Just a little lightheaded."

"May I escort you back to your room?"

"Sure, but—" Before she could finish her statement, Vision had swept her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. She remained silent as she was borne through the air, and in a matter of seconds they were standing in her quarters.

"Thank you," Wanda mumbled, stumbling from his arms and flopping onto her bed. Sleep didn't seem so bad now.

"Do you suppose that you will sleep well?" Vision asked.

"I think so," she said.

He nodded and bowed slightly. "I will take my leave then, Mi-, er, Wanda."

"Wait!" Wanda rose from her bed and hurried back over to him. "One thing before you go!"

"Yes?"

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead. "That."

Vision only blinked, unsure of what to make of it. Heat had started to make its way to his facial region, yet he had not sanctioned that function. Very confusing.

Wanda backed away, smiling slightly. "You can go now."

He tilted his head, giving her an unreadable look. His eyes reminded her so much of Pietro. They were the same shade of blue.

Finally, he spoke. "I shall take my leave. Good night, Wanda."

"Good night, Vision."

A thought occurred to him as he turned to go. "Oh, and Wanda?"

"Yes, Vision?"

"If you have more nightmares, please do not hesitate to call for me."

She smiled. "I will."

Without another word, he floated to the door and phased through it, leaving her alone in the quiet, moonlit room. She would've sat and thought about the events that had just occurred, had she not been so exhausted. She fell onto her bed and closed her eyes, instantly falling into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Wanda opened her eyes groggily. What time was it? Rolling over, she peered at the clock through sleep-blurred eyes. The clock read in fluorescent red: 7:03 PM.

The Witch sat up quickly. Had she been asleep that long? She rose from her bed, donning her day clothes it was dinnertime.

"I call dibs on the last slice of pepperoni!" Tony yelled from his position at the dinner table.

Steve frowned. "I wanted that one!"

"First come, first serve, buddy." Tony looked around the table. "Say, where's that Maximoff girl? Haven't seen her all day."

The other Avengers looked around the table, just noticing the absence of Wanda. She was so unobtrusive that they hadn't missed her.

"She is probably sleeping," Vision supplied. "W… Miss Maximoff had a rough night last night."

Tony raised an inquiring eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

"I helped her."

"What a gentleman," Natasha said.

Before the conversation could go further, the door opened and Wanda stepped into the room. All eyes turned on her as she descended the steps to the table.

"Speak of the devil," Tony muttered to Sam.

"Sorry," Wanda apologized. "I didn't have a very good night and I guess I overslept."

"You think?" Natasha laughed.

As Wanda seated herself, Vision noticed she looked a lot healthier, and a lot happier. She met his gaze briefly and smiled before saying, "So, is there any food left? I'm starving."

"There's a piece of pepperoni left," Natasha said before Tony has a chance to speak.

"That sounds fine." Wanda had started to rise from her chair, but the Vision stopped her.

"Allow me to get your food," the synthezoid said. Without waiting for a response he drifted into the kitchen.

"You have got that one wrapped right around your finger," Natasha muttered.

"Are you doing alright?" Steve asked. "The Vision told us you didn't have a good night."

"I'm fine," Wanda said truthfully. "In fact, I'm much better."

"You look much better," Steve agreed. "You haven't looked very well these past few months."

Wanda nodded. "I was grieving for Pietro, and it took its toll on me."

"You could've talked to us," Steve said.

"I was stubborn, but last night Vision found me…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered the events of the previous night.

Sam, Rhodey, and Tony started nudging each other and snickering. Wanda's expression was almost dreamy.

"Here." Vision placed the plate of pizza in front of Wanda.

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you very much, Vision."

Tony leaned over to Sam and whispered, "Called it."


End file.
